Employee: QB called server 'Osama'
J.J. Alcantara
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: Campus Beat
Another employee at Kona Grill confirmed Wednesday that Ryan Perrilloux was involved in a verbal altercation at the restaurant, saying the junior quarterback called a server "Osama."
The employee agreed to speak to The Daily Reveille under the condition of anonymity and said the incident occurred Sunday around 10 p.m.
Another Kona Grill server, Drew Watson, said he knew "all about the incident" but "already agreed to management not to comment."
Perrilloux entered the restaurant with an unidentified former LSU football player and three employees from Crazy Horse Cabaret, the anonymous employee said.
He said the group sat in the cocktail area and began drinking. Perrilloux, the employee said, began yelling obscenities and racial slurs to their server.
After some time, the employee said the server spoke to a manager and asked him to address the rowdy group.
The employee said a manager asked the group to leave, and after the manager threatened to call the police, the group left.
The employee said a manager e-mailed the LSU Athletic Department and said he would not serve any more LSU players until he received a formal apology from Perrilloux.
Kona Grill allegedly received phone calls from LSU coach Les Miles, an assistant athletic director and Perrilloux apologizing for the incident, employees said.
Watson is not the server who spoke about the incident nor the server who was harassed.
LSU Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette said no such incident occurred at Kona Grill.
"We don't have anything to say," Bonnette said.
The Daily Reveille contacted Assistant General Manager Scott Aldridge on Tuesday evening, and he said he did not have a comment regarding the incident.
"I've been receiving a lot of calls about that and would like to stop receiving calls at the restaurant," Aldridge said.
The Advocate reported Wednesday that Aldridge said "Perrilloux was at the restaurant Sunday evening but didn't cause a scene."
Casey Hicks, public information director for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, said the Sheriff's Office was not called out Sunday evening to Kona Grill.
Perrilloux's suspension from the football team was lifted this past week, and he was expected to return to practice Monday.
WJBO reported Tuesday that Perrilloux "will not be participating in Spring practice at all this year" because of "an incident at a local restaurant over the weekend."
